ανησυχία
Lemma: ανησυχία
Translation: worry; anxiety; concern; uneasiness; restlessness (noun)
Etymology: From Ancient Greek 'ἀνησυχία' (anēsukhía), formed from the prefix 'ἀν-' (an-) meaning 'not' and 'ἡσυχία' (hēsukhía) meaning 'quietness, peace, tranquility'. The word literally means 'lack of peace' or 'absence of tranquility'. The root 'ἡσυχ-' (hēsukh-) is related to words expressing calmness and stillness.
Example Usage
Η ανησυχία για το μέλλον είναι φυσιολογική.
Worry about the future is normal.
Εκφράζω την ανησυχία μου για την κατάσταση της υγείας του.
I express my concern about his health condition.
Οι γονείς νιώθουν ανησυχία όταν τα παιδιά τους αργούν να γυρίσουν σπίτι.
Parents feel anxiety when their children are late coming home.
Η οικονομική κρίση προκάλεσε μεγάλη ανησυχία στους πολίτες.
The economic crisis caused great concern among citizens.
Mnemonics
- Think of 'an-easy-hia' - when something is 'not easy' (an-), it causes 'ανησυχία' (worry).
- Connect it with 'unhesitating' - when you're full of 'ανησυχία' (anxiety), you can't be hesitating because you're too restless.
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Example Wordforms
Cultural Context
The concept of 'ανησυχία' is frequently expressed in Greek culture, where people often openly share their worries and concerns about family members, health issues, or social situations. Greeks tend to be expressive about their anxieties, and discussions about worries are common in everyday conversation.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: 'Ανησυχία' is the noun (worry, anxiety) while 'ανησυχώ' is the verb (to worry, to be concerned).
Notes: These words are from the same word family, with one being the noun form and the other the verb form.
Mnemonic: Nouns typically end in '-ία' while verbs often end in '-ώ' in Greek.
Explanation: 'Ανησυχία' means worry or anxiety, while 'αμηχανία' means embarrassment or awkwardness.
Notes: Both words describe uncomfortable emotional states but in different contexts.
Mnemonic: Think of 'αμηχανία' as being 'a-mechanic' - when you don't know how to fix an awkward social situation.